This chapter discusses class size and how it affects both teachers and students. Over 80% of all teachers would take smaller class sizes over an increase in pay. Although it is expected of teachers to have attitudes like this, the fact that so many of them do proves how important this issue is and how crucial class size is to learning. Parents and students agree that smaller class sizes are ideal, and even the older people in government now claim that large class sizes worked well for them when they were in school can't say they would rather have their children in huge classes. When larger class sizes worked for these older people was before our school systems had so much diversity in them when it comes to race, income level, social class, mental, emotional, and physical ability, and ethnic background.
Teachers' ratings depend entirely on their class size, because a teacher who can work very well with 25 students would definitely see his/her ratings decline in a class size of 40, which is a change some reformers want to make in order to only keep the absolute best teachers. So Ravitch claims that even the best teachers wouldn't be the best if their entire environment was changed that drastically. As classes become more and more diverse, students need more time to learn and interact, and teachers need more time to help every student, especially when the amount of classrooms with teacher aids is very small. More students means a teacher has to focus more on management and control rather than instruction and curriculum.
It would be very costly to reduce class sizes, because it means hiring more teachers for the same amount of classes, but Ravitch believes that in the long run it is well worth the cost because it will result in higher achievement levels, higher graduation rates, and lower special education referrals. Basically Ravitch says that schools have two choices: reduce class sizes and experience great benefits from it for years, or increase class sizes and deal with remediation, disruptive behavior, and failure for many years. And although both options would be expensive, one will need money to increase future success, and one will need money to compensate for failure.
"Class Size Matters for Teaching and Learning"
This chapter discusses class size and how it affects both teachers and students. Over 80% of all teachers would take smaller class sizes over an increase in pay. Although it is expected of teachers to have attitudes like this, the fact that so many of them do proves how important this issue is and how crucial class size is to learning. Parents and students agree that smaller class sizes are ideal, and even the older people in government now claim that large class sizes worked well for them when they were in school can't say they would rather have their children in huge classes. When larger class sizes worked for these older people was before our school systems had so much diversity in them when it comes to race, income level, social class, mental, emotional, and physical ability, and ethnic background.
Teachers' ratings depend entirely on their class size, because a teacher who can work very well with 25 students would definitely see his/her ratings decline in a class size of 40, which is a change some reformers want to make in order to only keep the absolute best teachers. So Ravitch claims that even the best teachers wouldn't be the best if their entire environment was changed that drastically. As classes become more and more diverse, students need more time to learn and interact, and teachers need more time to help every student, especially when the amount of classrooms with teacher aids is very small. More students means a teacher has to focus more on management and control rather than instruction and curriculum.
It would be very costly to reduce class sizes, because it means hiring more teachers for the same amount of classes, but Ravitch believes that in the long run it is well worth the cost because it will result in higher achievement levels, higher graduation rates, and lower special education referrals. Basically Ravitch says that schools have two choices: reduce class sizes and experience great benefits from it for years, or increase class sizes and deal with remediation, disruptive behavior, and failure for many years. And although both options would be expensive, one will need money to increase future success, and one will need money to compensate for failure.